Filmmaker Eric Goldrich grew up hearing rumors that his dad once played in a rock band, so he and co-director Benjamin Friedberg decided to investigate the legend through this feature-length documentary. They reveal the flash-in-the-pan, Billboard Top 40 phenomena that was Gunhill Road, how the music industry thwarted the band’s aspirations, and then why some of the members (including Santa Barbara’s Glenn Leopold) decided to dust off their guitars and do it again.
Were you surprised to learn that your dad's band was actually quite a big deal?
Extremely surprised, but only because I didn't know about any of it until I was 24 years old! After hearing the music though, I objectively fell in love with Gunhill Road as a band. I've gotten into countless discussions with my co-director Ben and producing partners George and Ian about why they didn't get bigger. But regardless of how “big” they did or didn't get, the fact that they opened (and closed) for some of the most legendary acts of our time still blows my mind. As cool or as nerdy as my dad was growing up, his musical story certainly made him even cooler.